Yes, my friends, VAZ modular 2.0 truly does kick some serious ass. And for $300??? I'm still gawking at that. Amazing. This seriously puts many synths 10 times its price to shame. A serious, serious instrument.

Now, when will DXi support come? Latency is my biggest problem with it; the more modules I string up (and I tend to use a LOT), the more unworkable the latency gets.

All in all, this software is just... just... AHHH!! Freakin' unreal. Now, hardware manufacturers better learn to SERIOUSLY up the ante, or they're gonna be in trouble once this gets out in a big way. Big studio snobbery's time has come. Bottom line: IF YOU LEARN TO USE THIS SYNTH, YOU WILL MAKE SOME BLOODY BRILLIANT SOUNDS.

My only gripe is that there could be stronger, "juicier" filters, esp. HP... I, for instance, really like the HP filters on the Supernova II. They really have character. The low pass filters are great, though. No complaints there.

What I wish they'd do is implement several different MODELS of filters, like LOTS, filters that emulate classic synths, newer VAs, and proprietary models that sound like nothing else. That, I guess, could go for OSCs, too. They could try and model the characteristics of old Roland, CEM, and Curtis chips, for example.

All in all, this software, I'm sure, is only going to keep getting better. It's just amazing, and should not be overlooked by anyone. Musicians with any talent will have no problem producing really quality work with this program. Brilliant.

Rating: 5 out of 5
posted Saturday-Dec-15-2001 at 07:15

Rabi
a hobbyist user
from California USA
writes:

I agree. Vaz kicks some serious @#%! A bit more complex to operate than say Reality, but easier to understand than Reaktor. Try this one out, you wont be dissapointed. www.dopetunes.com

Rating: 5 out of 5
posted Tuesday-Jan-09-2001 at 10:22

Steve Raymar
from USA
writes:

Since I sold off my first synth, a Roland Juno 1, I missed it but VAZ+ 1.7 blows it away! With a multi driver(www.pgmusic.com)I can use it with Technotoys ARP-X8 and SEQ-303. I've also run two instances of VAZ+ together but my 233 Pentium CPU won't allow any more. Using VAZ with outboard reverb, echo and chorus is pretty cool too and I believe on the next upgrade you'll be able to use Direct X effects. I really love using this pup in Unisyn mode, Mama!

Rating: 5 out of 5
posted Sunday-Oct-29-2000 at 09:39

Arp
a hobbyist user
from England
writes:

Although this is for Vaz +, everybody is reviewing Vaz Modular, so I will as well.

Anyway, Vaz Modular (for 'Vurtual analogue synth' (sic)) is a top-notch modular synth simulator with a late-period ARP instruments colour scheme, Vaz Modular is considerably less fiddly than Generator without much of a drop in functionality. In fact, it's like comparing a gigantic EMI modular system with an ARP 2600 - there's just enough functionality to give you breathing-space, without too much to distract you. Simply drop down an oscillator, connect it to a filter, an amplifier and an envelope, and you're away.

There's a lots of modules you will probably never use (the 'slew limiter', for example), and plenty that you will - a 'multi-oscillator' slaves four oscillators together to generate instant fatness, and there are various delay and reverb effects (the reverb is not great, sadly).

There's a decent on-board sequencing system, too, using three rows of 16 sliders to control... anything, really, although typically you'll be driving pitch and two controllers (such as the filter cutoff and resonance). Although it's annoying to have to use sliders to enter data, it's no harder than Rebirth and there's a 'random' funtion. It all runs decently on a Pentium 200mmx, as well.

There are a couple of flaws - once you start routing things through mixers a surprising amount of digital noise creeps in, and it's a shame that you can't use the on-board sequencer to control external devices. Apart from that, it's ace.

Rating: 5 out of 5
posted Friday-Sep-08-2000 at 06:14

robert242
a part-time user
from ca usa
writes:

2.0 rocks man what a cool setup runing on a celleron 400 with a crapy sound card i get an averig of ten tracks out of it with awesome sound quality! Thanks vaz!